Burning Light
by Oirx
Summary: One ancient ogre, a puddle of goo, and one hunter with her companion. New found powers are discovered when intertwined with the Darkness
1. Unlikely Start

"You can't tell me you didn't just see that?!" The ghost said over the coms.

"You mean the angry titan ripping the fallen captain limb from limb?" The hunter vanguard asked with a hint of humor to his voice. "I most definitely did. Scary." He added.

The female hunter turned around to look at her new companion only to find him driving his fists into the captains chest with sickening thuds. She quickly turned away and continued her conversation with Cayde and her ghost.

"Couldn't you have talked Zavala into pairing me with another hunter?" Ivara asked. Had her helmet cam been on Cayde would have seen the annoyed look that was upon her face.

Cayde was silent for a moment before he replied. "I mean I would if I could but." He exaggerated the last word a bit before quickly adding. "Zavala is kinda mad at m- Oh crap." The sound of Zavala yelling for Cayde came over the mic loud and clear. The Hunter vanguard quickly ended the call.

Ivara sighed softly as her ghost floated beside her. The sound of fists landing onto armor and flesh had stopped. She turned around slowly and found her new Titan companion know as John-17 covered in ether and fallen blood. He was breathing heavily over the corpse of the captain. The ghost returned to the hunters backpack and spoke to her through private coms.

"Nice fellow huh?" He ghost said teasingly.

Ivara rolled her eyes and sighed again. She was not going to enjoy this.

 **This is my fist chapter in this story and also the first thing I have written in a while so please tell my what you think.**


	2. Memories

John was sitting across from Ivara in the hold of her ship. His ship lay in a burning heap with shock rifle holes littering the burnt hull. He sighed quietly as he took off his helmet and set it next to him. A disappointed look shone in his neon green eyes. His face was very angular but managed to retain a friendly look. Ivara kept her helmet on and spoke to him.

"I wouldn't worry too much about your ship. I'll help you get a new one." Her voice was shaky. Most likely because she had watched him rip a captain to pieces.

His eyes seemed to light up.

"R-really? You'd be willing to do that for me even though we met like three hours ago for the first time?" He said with a shocked tone.

She nodded and shrugged.

"Amanda ows me, well, Cayde a ship anyway." The hunter said with a mischievous smile that was hidden by her helmet.

The ship they were in was dotted with things she'd found on her ventures. Various sets of armor sat in their respectively labeled boxes. A blood stained cloak was hung on the wall.

It wasn't her blood nor was it fresh. The blood that stained that cloak was from her first fireteam.

When she was first resurrected she was paired with a warlock and another hunter. Both suffered death at the hands of a cabal officer right before her eyes. She was unsure as to how she survived but she knew it was something she couldn't explain.

The ship began to rattle and shook her out of her daze. They were approaching the Tower. Ivara got up and moved to the front where the cockpit was located. She held the coms button and called in her ship for landing.


	3. A New Ride

Ivara entered the towers hanger with John following behind her. The two seemed to be have a conversation beforehand.

"Next time don't land your ship next to a Ketch, land it in the Ketch. Save the fallen some time." She said sarcastically.

John laughed slightly. When he was first told that he'd be assigned to a hunter he figured they'd be a sick in the mud but he was starting to change his perceptions.

As Amanda saw Ivara approaching she let out an audible groan. Ivara couldn't help but smile at that as she finally removed her helmet. Her copper red hair fell upon her shoulder and accentuated her soft features. Her eyes were like emeralds underlined by a sea of freckles. Ivara's skin was slightly tanned creating an almost light caramel color.

As the two approached Amanda, Ivara called out to her.

"Did ya miss me?" She asked with a teasing smile.

"Oh most definitely." Amanda replied in a sarcastic manner.

As Ivara drew closer Amanda stepped away from the sparrow she'd been working on and embraced Ivara in a tight hug. The two had know each other for a while. Ivara even used to help Amanda in the hanger. She stepped away from Amanda with a smile and jestered towards John.

"Amanda this is John. John Amanda." She said with a slight smile.

"Did you finally get a boyfriend?" Amanda asked teasingly as she shook the exo's hand.

"Boyfriend? No. Cayde assigned me to teach him what it means to be a Guardian." She sounded slightly embarrassed though she hid it well. "Anyway, remember how you owe Cayde a ship?" She asked with a mischievous smile.

Amanda nodded slowly, being cautious of her Hunter friend. "Yeah what about it?" She asked questioningly

"Well John needs a new ship and it is Cayde fault his is destroyed..." Ivara said with a hopeful tone.

Amanda let out a soft begrudging sigh. "I don't like where this is going."


	4. Shock and Awe

As their ships set down on the wet and rainy surface of Venus Ivara called out to John over the coms.

"So the Vanguard asked us to get rid of a group of Fallen who've been pushing back the Vex here. If the Fallen have found a way to push back the Vex we need to find it and stop it. Sound like a plan?" She said with a confident tone as her ship landed softly on the roof of the Grand Archives.

"Yeah. One question though, uhh what's a Vex?" John asked curiously.

"Eh, angry space robots that can control time and reality to some extent." Ivara replied nonchalantly.

The two of them stepped out of their ships and into the long winding staircase that led to the ground floor. The stairs had been long since overcome with debris and flora. Fallen symbols had been painted onto the walls in a sloppy manner.

"So if the Vex can control time and reality why haven't they wiped us out?" John questioned.

Ivara thought deeply for a moment before replying. "To be quite honest I have no clue. Maybe they don't want us dead but they most certainly do not want to be out allies." She paused then bitterly added, "Judging by how many of us they've killed."

After a few minuets of walking in awkward silence John's ghost spoke up.

"I can sense movement on the other side of this door." It said in a monotone voice.

The Hunter grabbed her white and gold hand cannon from her waist. This gun was strange as it had no magazine, only a strange gyroscope type object that connected to the barrel and handle. She spun the gun round her finger a few times. As she did this the gun seemed to build up a sort of energy charge that made its presence known by a faint and quiet hum.

The Titan had pulled his auto rifle from his back and readied it. His gun was a Vanguard weapon and was black with the Vanguard symbol on the casing. His ghost had disappeared into his backpack.

Ivara stood in front of the door and looked at her titan companion.

"Ready?" She asked in a low whisper.

The titan gave a small nod. "Lets do this." He said in a whisper as well.

The Hunter delivered a swift kick to the door that knocked it off its rusted hinges. She stepped through the door and into a room of startled Fallen. She squeezed the trigger of her weapon, which she'd dubbed the Flow of Battle. A shot ripped through a dregs head and sent ether splattering on its allies. She quickly spun the weapon round her trigger finger again and returned another shot.

John stepped out from the door way and gunned several dregs and vandals down with brutal accuracy. He then leapt into the air, his fists crackling with beautiful blue arc energy, and brought them down to the floor sending a wave of arc energy straight into the crowd of Fallen. The Fallen were either vaporized or sent reeling into the wall behind them with sickening splats.

The Titan chuckled as he admired his work. Arc energy still cracked beneath his feet but did him no harm. The Fallen who'd hit the wall had a look of terror resting on their lifeless faces.

"That was amazing!" John exclaimed excitedly as he jumped around the small crater he'd made.

Ivara quickly reached out a hand to stop him from jumping but it was to late. The floor beneath them gave way and the two were sent plummeting to the unexplored underground.


	5. The Hidden Dark

Both Guardians hit the rocky floor below hard. The air rushed out of Ivara's lungs as she hit the floor and bounced twice before stopping and ripping off her helmet inhaling as much air as she could. As she sat gasping for air John stood slowly and looked up in shock. His robotic eyelits had to adjust to the bright light that illuminated the heavy air around them. He soon saw how far they'd fallen and turned to Ivara with a worried look. She was still sitting on her knees taking in all the air she could. She looked up from where they'd fallen then to John.

 **"Well I doubt we'll be leaving the same way we came in."** She said through occasional gasps.

 **"You might be right about that. Where are we?"** John asked with curiosity as he looked writhe strangely dark room.

Both of their ghosts rose up and scanned the room as the two spoke.

 **"If I'm right we managed to fall below the Archives. Anyway where ever we are, it smells like death..."** Her usually calm tone was now replaced with worry.

She quickly pulled her helmet back on and drew her gun and began spinning it quickly. Her ghost, sensing her worry quickly returned to her. The sound of thick, sloshing liquid filled their ears and was quickly followed by a deafening roar. She fired a shot into the darkness and struck something as a large purple beam of light rushed past her.

 **"Ogre!"** Her ghost called out as the target became highlighted on her HUD.

Both Guardians began to fire at the ogre in the hopes that they would kill it before it killed them. The beam of energy from the beast intensified and began to take on a pale blue hue. Another deafening roar came from the beast as they chipped away at it's thick chiton skin.

Ivara did her best to hit its head but every shot seemed to miss her intended target, it was too dark. She rolled to a nearby rock and crouched behind it as she drew upon the Travelers flames.

She envisioned bright burning flames consuming the enemy before her. She soon burst into bright flames that illuminated the cave they were in. The liquid in which the ogre was standing was pitch black and moved like jelly. The ogre was black except for its central eye and had jagged bones jutting up from its back that gave it a menacing look.

The ogre was much larger than she had anticipated and was much stronger than she'd thought. She let lose a thunderous bolt of fire from her now flaming gun that cut and burned through the ogres flesh. It let out an agonized roar as it stumbled back. The beam from its singular eye cut into the ceiling above her but she didn't noticed. She fired another shot into the ogre as a large hunk of rock fell as knocked her into the pool of thick liquid.

The dark liquid engulfed her and rushed into the cracks in her armor and into her helmet. In a panic she inhaled the black substance and began to choke as it burned her lungs. Her helmet began to fill with the liquid and her vision went dark. The flames that covered her body still burned away at the drakness infused liquid.

John watched his companion fall into the liquid and in a fit of rage charged at the beast with arc energy the longer he ran the brighter the energy became and the more of his body it covered. With a powerful leap he soared into the air and brought his fists down into the ogre's fleshy head.

Arc energy cracked and hissed as it burned a hole into the ogres head. John pulled a still energized fist back and drove it into its skull again while he drew the other back and repeated the same strikes over and over till the ogre fell dead. He quickly turned back to where the Hunter had fallen in and used his thrust pack to float to where her once glowing flames were nothing but mere embers in the dark pool that consumed them. He reached in and hooked his arms under hers. He drug her out of the liquid as her ghost materialized beside him.

 **"She's going to drown in her helmet!" It exclaimed with fear.**

John laid her on her back and pulled her helmet off. Black liquid poured out and washed over her face. He wiped away the liquid with his hand and she began to violently cough up more of the liquid. She rolled onto her side and heaved as the black substance exited her body.

 _So I ended up changing the 5th chapter of the story because I didn't really like the Vex mind idea. I might end up putting it into another story I'm drafting right now._


	6. Edge of Darkness

The black liquid burned her eyes intensely. When she tried to look up towards the light above the burning increased in pain ten fold. Black tears ran down her cheeks as her body did its best to counter the burning but even her tears stung her cheeks. John knelt down next to her a ripped some fabric off of his mark and covered her eyes with it.

She opened her mouth to thank him but the liquid had burned her throat so badly no sound came out when she spoke. For the time being she was blind and mute. Her ghost spoke for her using the slight telepathic link the had developed.

Most Guardians were able to speak to their ghosts with out moving their mouths, simply by thought. Usually Guardians would talk to their ghosts as it took less concentration and will power to do.

 **"She say thank you."** Ivara's ghost said on her behalf.

John nodded but said nothing as he stared warily at the ogres corpse. Though it was dead darkness still radiated off it. His ghost had floated up to bring his ship in close enough to transmat the two Guardians.

 **"This energy, coming from the corpse... is that the darkness?"** He asked with a curious and concerned tone.

Ivara nodded and immediately regretted moving as her body still burned from the strange liquid.

 **"Yes. The oppressive feeling you get when you're near it is called Darkness exposure. While it can't kill you it can severely hinder your abilities. The creatures who thrive in the darkness will however, kill you. Without hesitation."** Her ghost did its best to convey her bitter tone.

John turned and studied her face carefully. Though unintentional she had a look of sadness on her face. She'd lost someone or something to the darkness but he had no clue what or who. He was intrigued but decided not to ask so not to stir up and bed memories.

Her once copper red hair was now stained dark black. Her face was also darkened but my as severely as her hair. She felt disgusting and wanted a shower more than anything now.

The engines of Johns new ship hummed overhead though faint from the distance she was able to hear it fairly well. Even John didn't notice it till his ghost notified him. Both Guardians were transmatted from the dark cave into the small cargo hold of his ship. There was a small bench that ran along the interior wall of the ship. John picked her up which startled her slightly and set her on the bench.

 **"Well transmat you to your ship when we get close enough."** He said in a calm and quiet voice.

Ivara could tell from his tone that he was contemplating something. Her own curiosity compelled her to ask but her better judgment said other wise. Her and her ghost were soon sitting in their own ship and she heard Jons voice come over the coms.

 **"I'll wait for you at the tower then we can get you to a doctor. I don't like what was in the cave and I don't think the Vanguard will either."** He said with a slightly drifting tone.

She felt her ship rattle ever so slightly as her ghost put them into hyperspace. The sounds of the engine humming was strangely relaxing to her. The still burning pain she felt had lessened in its intensity but was still present. She her the humming of her ghost draw near then a comforting feeling washed over her.

 _I'm scanning your eyes for any permanent damage._

Ivara nodded her reply which was the bast she could do as of now.

 _It seems like a slight case of photo sensitivity._ You _should rest._

She already felt herself drifting slowly away into the arms of sleep. It had been an exhausting day. As her eyes shut behind the crude blindfold she thought she heard whispers though inaudible. She dismissed them and fell asleep.

 **Authors Notes:**

So this chapter maybe a little lackluster and I apologize for that. I got a little bit overwhelmed with school but I should be able to resume daily chapters soon.


	7. The Dream Eater

As Ivara slept strange images flashed in her mind. They were strange pictures of places and worlds she'd never been to. Some were beautiful a push with life but the picture that followed was the same place but shrouded in death and lifelessness. She saw armies of hive slaughtering the life on the planets. Each planet was different but all ended the same way. Dark from hive rituals and death.

One place in particular stood out to her. It was a world of black lakes, similar to the pool where the ogre was. Soon she saw the moon. Even though it was cracked it was still beautiful to her. This was different however. Instead of seeing the seemingly ever extending horizon, she saw a strange Knight.

The chiton shell of this knight was bright white. Other hive seemed to flock towards it like a beacon of hope. Her dream brought her far closer to the knight than she would have hoped for. The knight paused whatever it was saying and turn towards her. The two stared ateach other for a moment until the knight raised its hand towards her.

She felt the jagged claw run up her cheek to her forehead. A great pain rushed over her as the knight slowly pushed a claw into her skull. She couldn't move! Her ghost who'd been in the cockpit resting on her chair sensed her distress and quickly floated to her.

 _Ivara. You need to wake up!_ He called to her with a panicking tone.

She heard his voice but couldn't bring herself to wake up. As the pain intensified she felt a painful shock from her ghost. Her eyes quickly flew open and her hands rushed to her head where the claw had been. She felt something warm against her glove as she curled up from the pain. Her ghost floated in front of her and scanned her.

 _You're not hurt. Bad deam?_ It asked with a concerned tone

All she could do was not slowly as she clenched her teath, threatening to break them if she bit down any harder. As the pain faded she relaxed and looked up. The rag that had been wrapped around her eyes had fallen off and she could see in then dimly lit hold of her ship.

Her ghosted stared at her, not blinking the shutter that represented its eye lid. The ghost moved slightly closer, it's shell spinning slowly.

 _Your eyes... they're, different..._ He said with a worried tone. The ghost disappeared into the air but she still felt his presence in her own light. She felt the ship rattle as it dropped out of hyperspace and began to approach the Tower's hanger.

 **Authors Notes: So this is a short chapter and I'm sorry about that. I promise the next one will be longer! Also I want to say thanks for the favorites and follows this story has gotten. Thank you.**


	8. Shaxx’s Challenge

The ship was resting in the hanger but Ivara was too preoccupied with trying to see her eyes on the blade of an old knife she had on her belt. The dirt covered and blood stained blade made viewing her eyes almost impossible. When she finally saw she dropped the knife and gasped in shock.

Her ghost was right, her eyes had changed. The once blue iris was now neon green like energy radiating off of a Hive ritual. Her black pupil looked as if it had been split and the blackness it contained seemed to cut through the green iris. She slowly pulled her knees to her chest and laid her head on them. Her ghost materialized next to her and looked at her with a sympathetic expression. Though he had no face the ghosts emotions were expressed by the slow spinning of his shell.

 _It looks like your pupil and iris have changed from the liquid. I'm not sure to what extent though. Maybe Eris Morn might be able to help when she returns._

The ghost held a hopeful tone towards the end that also gave her hope. She was startled by a loud bang on the entry ramp. She stood and walked to the ramp then hit the release button.

The ramp lowered rather quickly and cane to rest upon the ground with a loud thud. Standing nearby the ramp was John. The faded yellow glow that illuminated her ship leaked onto him and made the metallic features of his face seem like gold. He held his helmet to his side and smiled slightly at her. He was happy to see the blindfold off and her moving around by herself.

"You look like you feel a bit better." John said from the outside.

"Yeah." Ivara replied as she grabbed her helmet and walked off the ship with her ghost resting upon her shoulder.

Her eyes had now become the most notable feature about her. Before it was her copper red hair but that was stained black insome places. The ramp lifted and closed behind her with a soft thud. The two walked towards the central plaza together but Ivara stopped to put on her helmet before they continued. She knew how most Guardians would react to her eyes. It'd be the same as when Eris returned from the moon, pushed aside and kept under suspicion.

As the two entered the bustling plaza she quickly began looking for Cayde or the other Vanguard. They were no where to be found which was strange. Ivara and John walked to where the crucible quartermaster stood, Lord Shaxx.

Shaxx was a large Titan who easily towered over the Hunter who approached him. He turned from his monitors towards them.

"Do you want to join the Crucible Guardians?" Shaxx asked with frightening enthusiasm.

"No, not this time. We're looking for the Vanguard, any idea where they might be?" Ivara asked with a quiet voice.

Of all the people in the tower the only one that intimidated her was Shaxx.

"The Vanguard. I believe they are speaking to Exicutor Hideo and the rest of the New Monarchy representatives." He said as he returned his gaze back to the screens before him. "Why do you speak so quietly? Surely you don't fear me." He said with a jokingly sarcastic tone. He chuckled and turned back to her.

Ivara scoffed and chuckled with a challenging tone. "Remember when you lost a 1v1 to ME in YOUR crucible?" She said with a smile that was hidden behind her helmet.

John was confused by their interaction with each other. Shaxx chuckled and turned his broad shoulders towards her.

"Oh is that so." He paused for a moment and Ivara took the time to nod proudly. "Well how about a rematch." He said loud enough to attract a small crowd.

Murmurs ran through the crowd like the chaining of a charged Riskrunner. Some hooted with excitement that reverberated through the crowd. Ivara turned and looked at them and adjusted her cloak.

She quickly turned back to him and declared loudly, "Tonight at sundown at the Pantheon." Excitement echoed in her voice and the crowed bursted into cheers.

At this time the Vanguard had finished their meeting and were heading back when they bases the crowd. Ikora and Zavala has confused and curious looks plastered to their faces. Cayde on the other hand had already pushed through the crowd and was standing before them all.

The excitement quickly turned to whispers as everyone turned to face him. He paused for a moment and looked out over the crowd, he enjoyed the attention but wouldn't tell anyone that.

"Alright! Listen up." There was a long pause before he continued. "I'm betting one thousand glimmer on my hunter!" He called out with excitement equivalent to the crowds.

People quickly called out their own bets, most being in favor of Shaxx but that didn't deter her. She was ready and excited.

John had been pushed to the back of the crowd with the two other Vanguard and was slightly worried. ' _Had she forgotten about her eyes? Who knows what else could have changed.'_ He said in his head to him self.

 **Authors Notes:** So I hope you enjoyed this chapter I plan on uploading the next chapter tomorrow morning or tomorrow night. Please tell me what you think.


	9. The Vanguard

As she stepped into the Vanguard briefing room her ghost materialized next to her. Johns ghost did the same and floated to the table where it came to rest. John and Ivara sat at the end of the table across from the Vanguard who also took their seats.

"So you said you encountered an Ogre on Venus?" Ikora asked questioningly.

"Yes. It was very old. My scans indicate it was there around the time the tower was being built. It was also in a strange liquid." Ivara's ghost said for her.

Ivara decided she should leave her helmet on till the proper time. John had already taken his off and set it on the table. Cayde looked at her strangely from across the table occasionally as they talked.

"What's with the helmet?" Cayde finally asked

Her ghost let out a short warble that was its equivalent of a sigh before it spoke. "In the encounter she was knocked into the pool of liquid and it filled her helmet."

Ivara reaches up and slowly removed her helmet. Her black stained red hair fell out from her helmet like waves on a beach. She set the helmet on the table and look ahead to the Vanguard awaiting their judgment.

Ikora was silently and intently studying her eyes with her own, Zavala was attempting to assess whether she was a threat or not, and Cayde just stared at her with a confused expression.

Ikora stood and walked over to the young hunter and sat infront of her. She reached out a placed her hands on her cheeks and studied her eyes closer. Ivara couldn't help but feel awkward ring this close to one of the most respected and powerful members of the Tower.

"Hmm." Ikora said absentmindedly as she turned Ivara's head to the left and right, examining each eye as she did.

"Well I do not sense anything hubs about you. This is very different from what happened to Eris. I only see slightly physical change nothing more." Ikora said flatly.

Ivara let out a self contained sigh of relief. As the warlock vanguard pulled away from her and returned to the others.

"I am inclined to agree with Ikora. I do notes a threat to the City or the Tower." Zavala agreed.

"Well all I know is you're not evil, well unless you lose to Shaxx." Cayde said as usual focused on something else. "I bet a lot of glimmer to a lot of people." He murmured.

"So we're free to go?" Ivara asked in a respectful tone.

Ikora nodded and chuckled. "You might want to hurry. It's almost time for your match. We'll be watching guardian." She said with a smile.

Ivara smiled and stood up quickly. She was filled with excitement once again. "Thank you!" She called out as she rushed out the door, her ghost quickly following behind her. John stood and nodded his respects to the Vanguard before chasing after her.

The three Vanguard sat in silence for a moment before they spoke.

"Well, I think we made the right choice with them." Ikora said with a small smirk.

"I agree with that. Do you think they know?" Cayde asked

"I do not believe they do but if the should begin to have suspicions we will be front with them." Zavala said, contemplation pulled on his voice.

They room fell silent for a few moments. The silence was broken by Cayde standing and placing his hands on the table. He leaned forward onto his metal palms and smiled.

"Well if you'll excuse me, I have bets to collect." Cayde said as he walked to the door.


	10. Edge of the Garden

She felt the cool whisps of the wind even through her armor as she stood on the edge of the Pantheon. She'd been her many times before but the beauty of the land never seemed to unimpress her. Her ghost signaled to her that the match had begun and she smiled happily as she kept across the gap that separated her from the main portion of the map.

She cleared the gap with ease and landed quietly as a hunter should. She started to move slowly to the massive cube in the center, being careful to avoid corners. Though Shaxx was a larger Titan, he moved quickly.

She paused and listened closely. The hum of the Vex machinery was prominent but not dominant. The sound of rocks moving caught her attention. She drew the Flow of Battle and began to charge it. She rolled around the corner as a sniper shot hit the wall behind her sending bits of stone scattering.

 _Holy shit! Going with a sniper? How uncharacteristic of you Shaxx._ She said to herself in her head.

She sighed and vaulted over the wall behind her and pushed forward to the cube. She pressed her back to it and peaked out firing a shot at where the Titan had been only to discover he had moved. Now she could feel the intensity of the eyes upon her from the cameras that buzzed around the map.

She sighed and moved around the left side of the cube closer to the edge of the map where heavy ammunition would be dropped in. As she looked she caught the glimpse of his mark. She grinned and jumped down to his level. Normally she would never do that as it put her at a disadvantage but she was confident in her abilities as a marksman. She grabbed the scout rifle from her back and gripped its handle tightly.

The Suros sights lit up as she raised the stock to her shoulder. She spun around the corner and fired upon the Titan who pressed himself to the corner before her. She heard him laugh which unnerved her slightly. She began to feel the true pressure of who she'd challenged. As her heart rate elevated all she could hear was the pounding inside her head. Shaxx stepped out and fired upon her. She reacted slowly and a few rounds ripped through her shield. She took cover once again but the unmistakable sound of a Titan glide made her doubt her choice. As he turned the corner she jumped back of the edge.

It must have looked as though she killed her self but in all actuality what she'd done is saved her extra jumps. She came around the other edge of the platform and fired her hand cannon into the titans back. His shield shattered but didn't kill him. He turned as she grabbed her knife and swung at her with a powerful fist that she used her palm to push away. As she pushed his palm she rolled her back along his outstretched arm. She was standing beside him facing the opposite direction. She quickly dug her knife into the gap between his armor and dropped him to the ground. She could feel his pulse through the handle of the knife. She twisted the blade and his pulse stopped. Her heart threatened to leap from her chest at any moment as it beat away uncontrollably in her chest. She pulled the knife out as his ghost appeared above him and brought him back.

He stared at her for a moment before chuckling happily. He placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke to her.

"Well done Ivara. You have taught me a new trick that I'm sure hunters in all matches will be attempting." He said with a happy tone.

"Thank you. You fought well. How much glimmer do you think Cayde made from this?"She said happily, her body still filled with adrenaline. Her arm was shaking for some reason but she quickly stopped it with the other.

"Not nearly enough to pay off his debts." Shaxx said teasingly knowing he was watching.

She looked out at the garden for a moment before being transmatted back to her ship.

 **More Authors Notes!!: So I do t really like the way this chapter came out so expect changes to it in the future but I wanted to get it out and see what you think of it. If I do change it I won't change the outcome.**


	11. Down Time

Ivara sat in the all too familiar cockpit with her helmet resting one of the brightly lit panels that displayed her ships information. She was holding her left arm with the other and staring at it intently. Her arm was still shaking but not as bad as it had been earlier.

She was confused and worried though her ghost tried its best to soothe her nerves.

 _I wouldn't worry too much about that. You're probably exhausted from the day you had. We didn't really stop to rest at all._ His voice said from inside her head.

 _Maybe you're right._ She replied.

As she stepped into the courtyard the large mass of people gathered before Cayde exploded with shouts when they saw her. Her eyes ran along the crowd searching for John.

A cool metal hand was placed on her shoulder and she quickly spun around to face her Titan companion. John chuckled and smiled at her. He was now out of his armor and in his casual clothes.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He said with amusement in his voice.

"Sure you didn't." She replied sarcastically.

He chuckled once again before continuing. "That was quick thinking, jumping over the edge."

Ivara smiled though it was hidden by her helmet. "Thank you." Ivara would have taken the helmet off but she feared the reaction she might receive for her eyes. The two stood in a awkward silence for a few moments before both tried to speak at the same time.

"I think I'm going to turn in for the-" Ivara started as John did. "Hey would you maybe want to go get a-" they both paused and stared at each other for a moment before Ivara cleared her throat and chuckled.

"I was going to say I was going to bed but what were you saying?"She asked. John was a bit taller than her and now she finally realized by how much. He stood a full head taller than her which made her have to look up at him.

John shook his head and started fidgeting with his hands. If he were human, a red glow would be showing on his cheeks. _Thank the Traveler I'm an exo,_ he thought to himself.

"Oh, it was nothing." He said quickly.

"Oh, alright." She paused for a moment as she but her lip. "I guess I'm off to bed." She chuckled.

Ivara turned around and started to walk when she stopped and turned around to look back at John.

"Thank you, for saving me today." She said with a small smile that was hidden behind her helmet.

John just smiled and gave her a nod. She turned and began to head to the elevator. She had to maneuver around a few Guardians who were engaged in conversations of their own. John watched for a moment before turning and heading to the noodle shop by Ikora.

As she stepped into the elevator Ivara began to feel her hand quake. She sighed and clasped her other hand over it. _Ghost, do you know what that is?_ She asked through the telepathic link she shared with it. _As far as I can tell it's from tiredness. Your dreams have kept you from sleeping again huh?_ Her ghost asked inquisitively as it materialized and came to rest lightly on her shoulder. The elevator door opened and she stepped out without answering her little companion, he already knew the answer.

She continued down the dimly lit hall to her quarters. As she reached out to enter the key code she heard a whisper. She turned and looked in the direction it came from but only saw a dark corner of the hall. She turned back to the keypad and entered her code.

The door slid open and revealed her quarters. Though small in size she still managed to fit a bed, table, and computer in the room. The kitchen was connected to the bedroom as was the bathroom. She sighed and took off her helmet, setting it upon the tarnished brown table that was cluttered with different weapon parts and tools. Ivara often made her own weapons like she had with the Flow of Battle, her most prized work. On the table now was a stripped Ice Breaker class sniper.

She planned on restoring the weapon to its original condition but her own ideas soon over came the old beast. She'd removed the scope in favor or her own design, a thermal scope that pinged sheild weak points. The barrel was weighted to prevent high recoil and the self replication chamber had been rebuilt to charge faster.

She began to take off her armor and set it next to her bed. She set her hand cannon onto the stand beside her bed and grabbed her pajamas.

 **Authors Notes: Sorry this chapter was so late. School's been kind of overwhelming me so my schedule might be a bit off. Anyway hope you enjoy.**


	12. Name in the Dark

Ivara laid her head down onto her pillow, her red hair sprawled out like a halo of copper around her head. The light from her ghost dimmed as it perched on nightstand to sleep. Ivara sighed softly as she shut her eyes and drifted into the warm embrace of sleep.

Whispers echoed in her ears, calling her name and another, Rathulan. She couldn't see anything but she heard heavy footfalls around her. The whispers soon became quiet chants that grew in intensity. The louder the chants became the more her name faded.

 _Rathulan._

 _Rathulan._

 _Rathulan!_

A flash of green sky came into her vision but disappeared into black as fast as it had appeared. She felt her arm begin to tremble once again. A new image appeared before her, the pure white knight. It chanted Rathulan over and over as it circled her.

The knight finally stopped before her and stared at her with green eyes that seemed to melt away her light. The knight reached a large claw to her chest and leaned forward, its sharp fingers drove into her chest. She could feel the sharp point of the claw cutting into her beating heart. What felt like a fire now raged inside her chest causing her to sit up with a shrill cry of pain.

Her ghost quickly rose up off the night stand and began to scan her. Black tears that stung her skin rushed down her cheeks. She was awake now but could still feel the pain. She quickly looked down her shirt to where the knights claw had pierced. Nothing but a red mark was left of the claw. She quickly looked up to her ghost who hung in the air dazed and frightened. She tried her best to calm her breathing down. There was a sudden knock at the door that stopped her before she could talk to her ghost.

 _It's probably one of the neighbors. That was a pretty loud scream._ Her ghost said to her mentally.

Ivara slowly and shakily stood into her feet and made her way to the door. She opened the small peephole and looked out. It was John. She never thought she'd be so happy to see a Titan in her life. She quickly unlocked the door and opened it. John looked at her confused. The light from the window washed over her as she opened the door. ' _Morning already?'_ She though to herself.

"Hey are you okay. You look like you just woke up." He said not having heard her scream.

"Y-yeah I'm okay. What time is it?" She asked him with confusion.

His eyes traced the black trails left by the tears down to the point of her chin. "It's almost nine am. Have you been crying?" He asked, his voice mirroring her own confusion.

"Huh?" She moves her hand to her cheeks and wiped the black streaks away. She looked at the black smears that were now on her hand. They still felt warm.

"Uh yeah, actually." She said after a moment of silence. "You can come in if you want she said as she stepped back from the door and sat down heavily on her bed. Her face showed that she was deep in thought but what she was pondering, John had no clue. He sat down next to her and looked at her with a worried expression.

"What happened?" He asked.

Before she could lie and pass it off as nothing her ghost chimed and and spoke up.

"She had another nightmare of a strange white hive knight. This time it tried to rip her heart out in some form of a ritual. She felt the pain from it..." the ghost said with more concern than anyone in the room.

She shot her ghost a stern look that quickly faded into a look of thanks. She knew she never would have told him because of her stubbornness when it comes to accepting help.

"It's going to be okay. Trust me I'm here for you." He said trying to put her worry at ease. "You said another dream, what was the first one?" He asked her ghost.

"It was no where near the intensity of the last one. She only saw the knight rallying other hive on the moon. This last one looked as though it was in the Hellmouth, Crotas toomb in particular." Her ghost replied again.

Ivara sighed and looked down towards the floor.

"We could cancel our mission for today and go to the Hellmouth. Try and find the knight and kill it." John said in an attempt to comfort her.

She didn't reply at first. Instead she simply stared at the floor, her eyes seeming empty as she recalled the dream. She slowly looked up to John and stared at him.

"I-It's worth a shot." She said with a faint hope in her voice.


	13. Dark Below

The two Guardians arrived on the pale dusty surface of the moon. The lessened gravity was the first thing Ivara took note of as she tried to take a step forward and ended up farther than she'd anticipated. She'd only been to the moon twice in her seven years of guardianship. The last time she was here it was to retrieve the bodies of her comrades.

Her first team had found her wondering the old city of Los Angelas with a crippled ghost in hand. The hive had been amassing in the area that she had been revived and damaged her ghost before it had revived her. Though crippled her ghost still had enough light to bring her back from the dead but after that was presumed dead.

The team discovered her and took her to the Tower where her ghost was repaired and she was geared up. The team stayed there for two days and when they were departing they offered to let her come with. She spent four years with those four only to watch them get cut down by the hive right before her eyes. The hive had no fondness in her heart.

"So. Where did you see the knight in your visions?" John broke the tense silence that had built up as she recalled the past.

"Hmm? Oh, the knight was by an alter the first time. I think it was the one next to the Hellmouth." She replied to him.

"Then lets get there and see what we can find." John said as he summoned his sparrow.

A red and white New Monarchy sparrow appeared behind him and he quickly got on it then looked to her. Her ghost had summoned her own sparrow thought it bore no insignia or faction symbol. She climbed onto her own and sped off, followed closely by John.

When they arrived at the wide open Hellmouth she pushed her sparrow towards the alter as fast as she could. John tried his best to keep up but the weight of his armor slowed even his sparrow. John met up with Ivara a few moments later. Her sparrow was gone and she was standing before the barren alter. A massive ring of footprints left by the hive circled the alter the led to the Hellmouth.

In silence she followed the tracks to the edge of the gaping abyss. Below she could see a faint green light but the more she looked the more her vision pierced the blackness. Hidden in the dark were many Hive though the were kneeling down and looking up seemingly towards her. She leans in a little closer and saw a green trail of energy snaking it's way towards towards her from the shadows. Again she heard the whispers, _Rathulan,_ as the green light came closer. She felt a strange cold wash over her body. She could feel the goosebumps form on her arms and legs but couldn't move. The light grew closer and brighter, the whispers growing ever louder, _Rathulan_. She was trembling, not from the cold, from fear.

Her heart pounded away till it thumped in her ears. The light was now inches from her. John was checking the area around the alter and had no iota of what was happening. The green light circled around her and the clod she felt intensified and her arm began to tremble once again. It was like touching a dead mans skin, cool and clamy. Her heightened breathing came over the coma but she couldn't utter a word. Her soft pink lips trembled as the light seemed to pull her closer over the edge inch by inch. John heard the breathing and started to make his way towards the pit.

"Ivara? You okay?" He asked with a worried tone.

"J-John. Help" she managed to force from her mouth, her voice was cracking with fear.

John quickly broke into a full sprint before she could finish her plea for help. He came around from behind a boulder and saw Ivara on her knees by the pit, a glowing ring of hive magic around her. He charged toward her and the ring reacted. It quickly ripped her down into the dark below, her screams fading with her light.


	14. Prisoner

John stared down at the marbled table top before him. Ineffable rage welled inside him. _If I had been faster. If I had stayed with her._ He berated himself internally as the three Vanguard spoke to each other. His fists were clenched under the table.

"I'm sorry John but we can't risk another entanglement with the Hive so soon after ending the war with the Red Legion." Ikora said with her usual infallible calm.

John clenched his fists tighter and slammed them into the table causing cracks to form on the marble.

He was standing now with his fists still imbedded into the table.

"Fine! I'll go by myself then. As far as I'm concerned I'm no longer associated with the Tower or the Vanguard." John declared through gritted teeth. He quickly turned, dragging his gauntlets across the table top, and walked out the door ignoring the Vanguards requests for him to come back.

He asked his ghost to prep their ship for a final departure as he headed towards the hanger. The ghost happily complied and readied the ship. Amanda had already received word form the Vanguard not to let him leave the Tower. I squad of Shaxx's redjacks had already assembled and were ready to stop any resistance the Titan could provide.

John stood before the redjacks with with no weapons in hand. The Redjacks raised their crucible issued auto rifles and centered them on his chest.

"Stop where you are or you will be shot and detained!" One called out to him.

John ignored their warnings and started to step forward as his ship left the hanger and prepared to transmat him. A rocket tore through the hanger and shattered his ship as the Redjacks opened fire on John. He dropped to the floor like a stone, his armor clattering as bullets ripped through the metal.

When he awoke again him and Shia ghost were in a detainment cell with no weapons or armor. His connection to the light was being masked and was causing him a sickening nausea. There were markings on the cell wall, he recognized one of them. It was they eye of the watchers. ' _This must have been the cell in which Osiris was kept'_ he thought to himself.

The sound of heavy thundering footsteps echoed in his ears. Zavala entered the room and glared furiously at John who stared blankly back at him.

"What were you thinking!" The Titan Vanguard thundered.

John didn't reply as he looked away. He didn't care what the Vanguard or anyone thought. As far as he was concerned he was no longer associated with the Vanguard.

"You will spend years in here if you don not talk." Zavala said with a warning tone as he turned and left. John sat in silence, unsure if he'd ever see the light of day.

 **Authors Notes: I don't know when I'll be able to put out the next chapter but for now here's this.**


	15. Inauguration

Part 2

As she fell into the abyss the expected it to end with a sickening splatter. Instead the green light slowed her till she came to rest standing on the ground. Surrounding her were the glowing eyes of several knights. They didn't shoot but kept their boomers leveled on her head. A sharp jab in her back told her it was time to start moving. She stepped forward, her foot slipping a bit on a few loose rocks.

The knights followed her and led her towards the bright light that signified the completion of the runic bridge. When she arrived at the start of the bridge hundreds of hive acolytes, thrall, knights, and wizards stretched back into the darkness. All were kneeling as if they were praying. In the middle of the summoning plate was the strange white knight she'd seen in her visions. It was standing and stared directly at her with cold and piercing green eyes. The knights pushed her again and she kept walking till she stood before it. The air was much cooler around it, as if the darkness that empowered the creature had reached out and enveloped her. She gripped the handle of the gun and readied to draw the weapon. The knights behind and to the sides of her stepped back and assumed the kneeling position all the other hive had taken.

The white knight before her stared for a moment before it also kneeled towards her.

Ivara was bewildered, the hive knelt before her as if she was Oryx himself. The chant from her visions began once again but now instead of simply trembling, her arm began to twitch. The darkness that enveloped the pit began to glow bright green with hive magic. She couldn't help but stare in awe and the green trails of light that danced above her head.

A strand of green broke from overhead and flew towards her with great speed. As it hit her she felt it meld with her own light. Her skin began to burn as more and more energy fused with her light.

Her arm began to crack and fall to pieces as the light kept hitting her. Soon she was left in the clothing she wore under the armor but it was torn with white chiton protruding through the tears. She could feel her skin changing in places where the chiton formed from her bone.

She let out a shriek of pain as her temples began to crack and shift as white twisted horns pushed out of her skin. The horns curled back slightly and were about as big around as a strange coin. Her body aches and trembled as the hive energy kept fusing with her own light. Her ghosts own screams drowned out all other noise in her head. Her fingers became sharp claws about the same length and size of normal fingers. The light in the room began to die back to darkness. She lay in a heap of the cold stone floor. Her chest was rising and falling with deep gasps for air.

I side her head thundered the voices of all the hive on the moon. One voice stood out the most, she assumed it to be the of the white knight's.

 _"Rathulan, can you hear them? The servants of your will. Rathulan, do you feel their strength? They follow you, Rathulan."_ The voice called out to her.

Ivara, now dubbed Rathulan, pushes her self onto her chiton covered hands and her fleshy knees. Her hair was now glowing green and fell around the sides of her head, blocking her vision to her sides. She didn't need to see anymore. Through her eyes the Hive could see and through theirs so could she. She leaned back upon her knees and stared up to the Hellmouth. The Earth was directly over head. A white dot, the Traveler, stood out on the planet she once called home. She let out a shriek that cut off the many voices of the hive that thundered within her head.

With a decent struggle she managed to stand though all the bones in her body burned and creaked, still unaccustomed to their new position and shaped. She turned to the white knight that knelt before her. She clenched her fists and her bones popped sending a sharp pain through her arms.

"What, what did you do to me?!" She demanded with anger burning in her voice.

 _"We have turned you into the banished god, Rathulan."_ It replied in her head. All the other voices had quieted down to mere murmurs.

"Why me? Why a Guardian?" She questioned further.

" _We need a leader. One that can make peace with the Guardians."_ It replied flatly keeping its eyes down towards the stony floor.

Ivara felt her legs wobble beneath her before she fell to the ground, unable to hold herself up on her own anymore. She needed rest and she knew it. A faint voice in her head called to her. ' _Ivara, we need to rest. I can't feel much of the Traveler's light here.'_ She recognized her ghosts distorted voice and was thrilled that it was still alive. She felt her eyes shut and the voices fade away.

 **A.N:** So I'm really excited about this chapter/part of the story. It will take me longer to put out chapters now that school is in full swing but I hope to put out 2 more before Thanksgiving break. During thanksgiving break I will try and put out 2 if not 3 more chapters. I hope you enjoy!


	16. Fading Light

When Ivara awoke in the large in decorated room she panicked. The surface on which they had lain her upon was black liquid inside of a translucent membrane that felt like rubber to her skin. She pushed herself off the bed but instead of landing on the ground as she'd hoped she stopped, hovering a few feet above the ground. She looked down terrified, her feet and leges were hidden behind a cloud of black mist.

She tried to step forward but to no avail. She leaned forward in a desperate attempt to grab hold of the wall but as she leaned she began to fly forward. She leaned backwards and stopped her movement. She repeated this a few more times till she was able to do it with her better control.

She looked down at the ground and leaned towards it slowly. At a manageable pace she drifted towards the ground. As she drew closer to the ground the cloud of black dissipated and revealed her legs with their chiton covered knees and torn fabric. She took a few steps on the ground before a realization struck her.

Ever since the death of her first team she despised the hive with all her being. She'd dreamt of the moon covered in flames, purifying the hive's malignant infestation. Now, she was one of them. Once again the darkness dwelling monsters had reduced her life to shambles. She sighed and clenched her fists tightly, half expecting the chiton claws to crack and send sharp blasts of pain up her arms. The chiton didn't crack but bent with her movement. The white chiton was now glowing a slight green hue that was almost masked by the brightness of the white.

She unclenched her hands and let them hang at her side. She looked out towards the window like structure for the first time. Outside of the room was what remained of Croat's oversoul, cracked and dark with a black sphere at its middle that seemed to absorb the green light that poured in from the distance.

"Ghost? Can you hear me?" She asked the open air. She waited a few moments for a reply that came faintly from inside her head.

 _'I can hear you but not very well.'_ It replied to her with a relieved tone.

"Thank the Traveler you're alright. Can you summmon yourself to me?" She asked. She longed to see someone or something familiar to her.

The was a slight flicker of light in her palm that faded after a second. She held out her plan before her and concentrated on it. She could feel her ghost tugging on her light as it tried to materialize in her palm. After a moment of struggle the ghost appeared. It's shell was no longer white but was chiton covered with only faint hints of white. It's blue eye was now green and much fainter.

"Oh ghost. What happened to you?" She asked sympathetically and she pulled her companion closer to her.

"The darkness corrupted me." It replied weakly.

Ivara crosses her legs and began to float with the same black cloud. "I'm so sorry. I promise I'll fix this." She said with a tear in her eye. She could feel his light fading in her palms.

"You don't have to worry about me. Fix this for yourself, and John. I haven't seen him since..." The ghosts voice began to fade as the light in its eye when dark.

She felt an immense loss in her heart that caused black tears to run down her cheeks. She clutched the shell of her ghost close to her chest and cried.

She must have cried for hours before a loud bang and the sound of grinding stone pulled her attention to the giant door at the far end of the room. She dropped to her feet and turned to the doorway where the large white knight was standing.

Dark trails ran down its own face. The knight knelt down before her as she came closer.

"My queen, what bothers you? We can feel a great sorrow." It said in a raspy voice that sent chills up her spine.

She'd never paid much of her attention to the knight before now. The broad, chiton covered shoulders were cut and chipped with grooves from many bullets running across the surface of the natural armor.

"Y-you can feel my pain?" She asked as she wiped away the black marks from her own face.

"We all can your highness." It replied with a still sorrowful tone.

She rose off the ground and flew to the widow, the black cloud once again enveloping her legs. Outside the window was a large collection of hive. Knights, acolytes, thrall, and wizards, all with black streaks running down their faces. She pressed her hands against the glass with her ghost still firmly held in her left.

Some part of her felt sorry for them. She never wanted anyone to bear her pain be they hive or guardian. She lowered her hands and turned back to the knight.

"What is your name?" She asked with curiosity on an attempt to distract her from her pain.


	17. Knowledge of the Hive

"Only the most exalted of hive earn names. I have none." Said the knight with an emotionless reply.

Ivara crosses her arms and lifted off the ground, a now familiar black mist enveloped her lower portion. A sudden flood of cool air washed over her as the large black door slid open and revealed a group of acolytes pushing a floating cart of some kind that was piled high with hive tomes. Ivara floated over to the cart with the knight following besides her. Her curiosity was overwhelming her as she tried to make sense of the shapes that consisted the hive language. ' _This must be what warlocks feel like when they get a new book.'_ She thought to her self with a smile.

"What are these?" She asked as she turned to the knight with curious green eyes.

"These are a few of our tomes that contain our history. There are many more but these are the ones that should serve to be most useful to you." He stared as the acolytes left the room with a respectful bow.

"How do I read them?" She asked as she scooped one up into her hands. She flipped it over in an attempt to find a cover or page. All she found was the same green rune on both sides.

"Hold it flat and place your hands on both runes. Like this." The knight reached out and grabbed one of the circular tomes and placed his chiton claws on both faces of it. The tome began to glow as his hands covered the runes.

Ivara copied his instructions and placed her blueish gray hands over the runes. Soon images flashed in her head that showed a vast and dark ocean. She could hear faceless voices echoing in her head in the hive language that she now understood the longer she used the tome.

Soon the images became black and the voices stopped leaving her in darkness. She pulled her hands off the strangely warm tome. In her head was the hive language and alphabet. The symbols and sounds that had sounded so alien to her before seemed to become familiar, as if they were her own native language and letters.

She shook the feeling away and picked up another tome, the runs on its faces now became a logical grouping of words. 'The Recorded Language'. From her perspective this seemed to be like one of the old earth dictionaries that documented words and their definitions. As she placed her hands over the runes visions of hive scribes writing in large columns that served as work spaces. Each column could easily hold a few hundred hive. Soon the tome was finished and she pulled her hands off of the front face. Her hands trembled slightly as she let go and she looked towards the knight who had been accompanying her with a concerned expression.

"That tome contains our written language. You now should be quite capable of writing in our language." He said calmly as he called forth the acolytes to take the cart away.

Ivara looked down towards her hands with slight concern. Her hands had taken the graying bluish coloration the rest of her slender frame had taken. Chiton covered the back side of her hand but didn't not restrict its movement.

A new question now proded at her thoughts. ' _Was she a prisoner here? She hadn't been let out of the room since she woke and the kings had been with her this whole time as if it were a warden keeping watch on a prisoner.'_ She looked up from her hands and directed her glowing green eyes towards the door which sealed itself after the acolytes left.

"Am I allowed to leave?" She asked as she turned towards the knight once more.

 **Authors notes: Sorry I haven't updated the story in a while. Things got a little overwhelming for me but I'm back to writing again! (Hopefully regularly)**


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